The cosmetic industry focuses much of its efforts, in regards to mascara, on increasing two fundamental properties, namely enhancing volume or thickness of eyelashes and extending length of wear. U.S. Pat. No. 5,874,072 teaches mascara containing a mixture of water-insoluble copolymers in the form of an aqueous emulsion with water-soluble film-forming polymers. U.S. Pat. No. 6,248,336 teaches mascara compositions with improved wear characteristics in the form of an emulsion comprising an insoluble polymeric material in an aqueous emulsion, and lipophilic oil components including a polyvinylpyrrolidone/hexadecane copolymer. U.S. Pat. No. 6,534,047 teaches cosmetic compositions for coating keratin fibers, containing a cationic polymer, an anionic polymer and an aqueous dispersion of a C1-C6 alkyl (meth)acrylate. The patents teach that the compositions lead rapidly to a uniform make-up result that have good properties of coating, lengthening and curling the eyelashes, as well as good staying power.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,503,521 teaches mascara that enhances volume via the use of three film formers, namely: at least one tacky film former soluble or dispersible in water; at least one tacky film former soluble in oil; and at least one additional water-soluble or water-dispersible film former. U.S. Pat. No. 6,726,917 teaches mascara for providing volume and/or length to eyelashes, containing fibers, pigments, and at least two film formers: at least one tacky film former soluble or dispersible in water; and at least one tacky film former soluble in oil chosen from hydrogenated polyisobutenes, adipic acid/diethylene glycol/glycerin crosspolymers, polyethylenes, and polyvinyl laurates.